The present invention relates to devices for adapting an auger drive so that it will accommodate both a round cross section drive socket or a hexagonal shaped cross section drive socket of an earth auger that is to be drivably coupled to a power unit.
Powered augers that are mounted onto a skid steer loader, backhoe arm, an excavator arm, or any other desired carrier, are presently made and have both round bore couplings and hexagonal (hex) socket couplings. The augers are driven by a powered output shaft, which could be powered by a hydraulic motor. The output shaft having a corresponding cross section. The circular coupling or socket drives the auger through a cross pin that passes through a cross bore in the drive shaft. The hex socket coupling is effected by the cross sectional shape of the hex socket mating with a hex shaped drive shaft.
In order to have a full selection of auger sizes and power units, customers may want a hex drive or a round shaft with a cross pin drive from the same power source. The drive units generally come in several sizes (at least two) . That means that to have direct coupling for augers, there are a minimum of four power units, two with different sized cylindrical shaft drives and two with different size hex shaft drives, to fit the sockets or couplers on augers that are available.
The present invention reduces the number of drives necessary for driving to both hex and round drive shafts.
While various adapters have been advanced for adapting a shaft to drive different size couplings, the present invention relates to adapters that provide an output shaft that drives either a cylindrical socket or coupler or a hex cross section socket or coupler.